A 27-year-old woman has been told she may never be able to have children after having a shocking 17 abortions in the space of six years.

Doctors say the woman, named only as 'Xiao Ju', may now be infertile because her uterus is so badly damaged after all the procedures.

Zhao Qin, head of gynaecology at Shiyan Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in China, said she had implored the pregnant woman to keep her child - because it may have been her last chance at motherhood.

However, the 27-year-old insisted on the procedure, leaving Zhao and her colleagues no choice but to perform what was the patient's 17th abortion in just six years.